Lex began nursery school yesterday. He handled it fine, while I was in tears by 10:30, feeling like I'd already failed nursery school. Guess that's normal — I had jet lag and my period working against me, and the environmentally friendly diaper I'd put baby in leaked out his butt, making two vertical smiles of baby-pee on his shorts, and the change of toddler clothes I thought was in the diaper bag was actually in my carry-on, which was at home, plus Monstro bitched at me for not having memorized his schedule (I'd made three copies of it, which were also in the aforementioned carry-on. Damn the carry-on!).

In other news, we are back safely from a three-week vacation. Turns out an old family friend, Dave Houseman, has bucked common belief by being the first person to write about my family's secrets. I think my aunt will be most surprised at this — the down south family hasn't been all that friendly toward me since receiving word of my MFA. Well folks, House was considerably more underhanded than I'd ever be, publishing an interview with my Alzheimer's-addled uncle without getting the other side of the story (like when he deserted his sick kid) from anyone in their right mind. Shoddy journalism, that. My grandma would be ashamed of you, House.

All in all, I'm jet-lagged and beat, yet buzzing from the grande Caffe Verona I just had, while typing this via

Wi-Fi at the closest Barnes & Noble to Lex's nursery school. Prayers appreciated.